Illinois...

[Faraday40]

I bet one of those might have been sweethearts. I'm finally starting to get eggs from the others out here. In odd places, but getting a few.

Any of them are possible. Crystal went broody so she was separated for a while. She's done now, so perhaps she's laying again. Of course the 1st thing Awesome did when he got his own beautiful SLO harem & love shack was to rip out the head & neck feathers of each female. Clumsy mating. The stress of the move & baldness caused the females to stop laying and regrow feathers. Only the youngest pullet was laying. The other females are looking normal again, so any could be the new layer.

 

[Faraday40]

A'hole is laying again.

That name always cracks me up.


Likewise, my visiting SLO "Sweetheart" had a very different name from her previous owner. It wasn't that she was a problem, but she was younger and very timid. The other birds there picked on her so she had to be separated for her own safety. My SLOs are the most docile so they accepted her without issue. Yet, when they went to the main coop to sleep, the other birds picked on her. .... even my silkie. Sweetheart has no flock survival skills. I watched the silkie repeatedly peck Sweetheart on the head..... and the orp never moved out of the way. Thankfully Sweetheart also grew back her head & neck feathers so she's looking good again.

My worst chicken name was probably my Black Australorp. On paper, she should have been the perfect breed for me. However, ours was defective. She was too aggressive toward the others and really disliked being held. (My Leghorns are far less skittish.) I tried working with her and holding her each night. Darn bird would poop on me! It was her worst and most consistent personality trait. I nick-named her "Poopie Poo," and honestly I can't even remember what her real name was supposed to be. We like to label each egg collected with the date and hen's name. An egg labeled Poo wasn't very appetizing. Abbreviating Poopie Poo to "PP" also didn't help much. Since we have limited coop space and like to add new chicks each year, Poopie Poo was one of the 1st hens to be sold that year.

 

[Molpet]

Had my first predator losses since I was a kid. 5 poults missing
5 turkeys with 6poults refuse to go in the coop and have been sleeping out in the tall weeds. This morning they only have one poult. A nest a different one has started the egg was eaten. All the nest dog houses in the yard have been ransacked. The box trap was tripped.
Dog proof traps on order.
I think they are coming in by the tree highway.

I have 7 other poults in 2 coops.

Moment of silence for a poult eater.
I hate doing that but once they figure out there's tasty food in the poultry yard....
20 lb male
So glad it wasn't a nursing mother.
But I am sure there's more.

 

[Justso]

Moment of silence for a poult eater.
I hate doing that but once they figure out there's tasty food in the poultry yard....
20 lb male
So glad it wasn't a nursing mother.
But I am sure there's more.
View attachment 2186409

[Edited because I really hate racoons but recognize that they are only doing what nature tells them]
RIP!

 

[Molpet]

[Edited because I really hate racoons but recognize that they are only doing what nature tells them]
RIP!

I was wondering if the slap was for the racoon or me
Because A lot of people think they should be released... And to tell the truth, if I knew of somewhere people wanted them I would drive up to 2 hours to deliver them... but I am not going dump them 10 miles away and give my problem to someone else to deal with....or to die a slow death.. which they say happens to 70 percent of released

 

[Justso]

I was wondering if the slap was for the racoon or me
Because A lot of people think they should be released... And to tell the truth, if I knew of somewhere people wanted them I would drive up to 2 hours to deliver them... but I am not going dump them 10 miles away and give my problem to someone else to deal with....or to die a slow death.. which they say happens to 70 percent of released

Definitely not for you!
I'm not a releaser either, I respect people's opinions, but they can keep their killer racoons and not dump near me.
I had neighbors who used to feed racoons, until they moved, then what do you think those poor animals did? No way to blame them, but I can't feed them.

 

[Molpet]

Definitely not for you!
I'm not a releaser either, I respect people's opinions, but they can keep their killer racoons and not dump near me.
I had neighbors who used to feed racoons, until they moved, then what do you think those poor animals did? No way to blame them, but I can't feed them.

I have 2 neighbors that hired trappers to get them out of the house. The 3rd neighbor FEEDS them. I am wondering if they are out of town at their cabin in Wisconsin... they feed the bears up there... goofball
I always wondered if their pile of corn was the reason my birds were left alone... He was very healthy and hefty for his size.

 

[Justso]

I have 2 neighbors that hired trappers to get them out of the house. The 3rd neighbor FEEDS them. I am wondering if they are out of town at their cabin in Wisconsin... they feed the bears up there... goofball
I always wondered if their pile of corn was the reason my birds were left alone... He was very healthy and hefty for his size.

I hope for your sake it was the only one visiting you.

 

[Molpet]

I hope for your sake it was the only one visiting you.

I know there was at least a dozen last fall, but if they don't bother me I don't bother them. I live next to a forest preserve and have a creek running through the property. So I consider myself blessed that this is the first attack..... well since I was a kid and that ended up being a opossum.
Of course I have spent a ton of money on electric fence... which I can vouch is still shocking ME quiet well.

 

[cavemanrich]

https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/predator-hunting/forgotten-delicacy-raccoon